Rochester Public Schools appeals loss of federal grant, pledges not to factor in race for program selection

Yahoo

29-05-2025

May 28—ROCHESTER — Rochester Public Schools has submitted a two-page appeal to the U.S. Department of Education regarding the discontinuation of a $1.9 million grant originally meant to increase the number of mental health workers in the school district, particularly those from "underrepresented backgrounds."
RPS was originally awarded the grant in 2023. The Department of Education notified RPS earlier this month that it would discontinue the grant because of the priorities of the new administration. In its appeal, RPS said it will no longer make decisions based on race if it is allowed to keep the grant.
"We agree to not use any factors related to race, gender or sexual orientation to select or support candidates for the grant program," Superintendent Kent Pekel wrote in the letter. "Our focus is on merit, excellence, and meeting the urgent mental health needs of our students."
RPS Communications Director Mamisoa Knutson said the district is unaware when or if it will receive a response to the appeal.
The grant was part of a partnership between Rochester Public Schools and Winona State University. When it was first awarded to RPS, U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar visited Rochester to mark the occasion.
In an earlier statement about the grant cancellation, Pekel wrote that the program was helping "fill a gap that Rochester Public Schools cannot fill on its own: enabling talented people who are already working in our school system to earn the licenses and degrees that they need to provide students with counseling and other forms of mental health support."
In the original notice about the grant's discontinuation, the Department of Education gave a handful of possible reasons for discontinuing the grant without directly saying what the reason was.
"The Department has undertaken a review of grants and determined that the grant specified above provides funding for programs that reflect the prior Administration's priorities and policy preferences and conflict with those of the current Administration, in that the programs: violate the letter or purpose of Federal civil rights law; conflict with the Department's policy of prioritizing merit, fairness, and excellence in education; undermine the well-being of the students these programs are intended to help; or constitute an inappropriate use of federal funds."
Since the inauguration of President Donald Trump, the federal government has moved to reverse many existing policies aimed at diversity, equity and inclusion.
Although Pekel indicated in the appeal that the district would not take racial factors into account when administering the grant, he also explained that it was partially meant to be a way to support individuals from minority groups.
"While the original grant guidelines encouraged consideration of applicants from underrepresented backgrounds, RPS has implemented the program in a balanced manner," Pekel wrote. "Two-thirds of participants are people of color or Indigenous individuals, while one-third are white. This reflects our commitment to both diversity and merit-based selection."
The district's response to the letter also criticized the Department of Education's decision to discontinue the grant, saying that the "premature termination of this grant" would waste the funding that has already been invested in the mental health initiative.
"This program represents exactly the type of innovative, merit-based approach needed to address the critical mental health needs of our students," Pekel wrote in the letter. "The termination of this grant sends a troubling message about the federal government's commitment to student mental health and efficient use of taxpayer resources."